Radiator valves



Dec. 11, 1962 o. c. SEMONSEN RADIATOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May24. 1960 FIG! HIIHH MIN INVENTOR.

OTTO C. SEMONSEN ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1962 o. c. SEMONSEN RADIATOR VALVES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24. 1960 FIG.5

v .0 0 o tok INVENTOR.

OTTO C. SEMONSEN ATTORNEY United States PatentOfilice 3,llfi7,945Patented Dec. 11, 1962 3,067,945 RADIATOR VALVES Otto C. Semonsen, 71Superior Road, Bellerose 26, N.Y. Filed May 24, 196i), Ser. No. 31,464 4Claims. ((31. 236-63) This invention relates to steam radiator ventvalves, and more particularly to such valves of low pressure steamheating systems generally found in private homes.

Failure of such valves to permit the escape of air or a mixture of airand steam generally results from clogging of one of the escape ventsowing to the formation of a film of condensate around the valve seat orin a venting orifice, where capillary attraction and surface tension ofthe condensate are sufiicient to resist the low steam pressure, or fromclogging in the passage in the steam inlet nipple by accumulatedcondensate, or from a combination of these causes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a radiatorvalve with means to prevent the formation of a film of condensate andits consequent surface tension, or of an accumulation of water to clogan orifice or passage, in either the inlet to the radiator valve or theescape orifices. In other words, the object of the invention is toprovide means for draining away from the said parts of the radiatorvalve, condensate which might otherwise clog the passage or orifices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of the above-mentionedmeans in the form of a wick or wicks, so arranged with respect to thelocality at which condensate will tend to accumulate to clog an orificeor passage, that the wick or wicks will drain the condensate away.

The above broad, as well as additional and more specific objects, willbe clarified in the following description wherein reference numeralsrefer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to benoted that the drawing is intended primarily for the purpose ofillustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended tolimit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details shownor described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

Referring briefly to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a radiator valve connectedto the end wall of a radiator, with parts broken away and partly insection.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of FIG. 1, but illustrating amodified form of the wick shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view substantially similar to FIG. 2, but showing a furthermodified form of the wick.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

'FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the upper portion of theradiator valve of FIG. 1, with parts broken away and partly in section.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5, with partsbroken away and partly in section.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the housingor shell of a steam radiator valve which contains a thermodynamic valveunit 11. This unit, in combination with the valve seat, is, due to itssensitivity to changes in temperature, adapted to control the movementof air and steam through the valve.

The shell 10 has the usual threaded nipple 12 positioned near the bottomthereof, for connection in the adjacent wall 13 of a radiator. Steamenters the shell 10 from the radiator through the nipple 12, and thelatter also serves as a drain through which condensate accumulated inthe bottom of the shell is adapted to flow back into the radiator;However, the passage through the nipple is subject to becoming blockedby condensate which the low pressure of the steam is insufficient toblow out.

In order to assure conveyance of the condensate from within the shellinto the radiator, it has been found that a length of wick, preferably,but not necessarily, approxi mately cylindrical in form, serveseffectively. One form of the wick is illustrated in FIG. 1 at 14,wherein the wick is held in an elbow-shaped partially tubular member 15open at both ends and containing the wick 16; the ends of the member 15are indicated at 17 and 18. The horizontal portion 19 of the member 15has an elongated cutout portion 19a along the top thereof, exposing thewick therethrough, and the front end 17 of this member is shaped into aring surrounding and holding the front end of the wick. The base of thenipple is flared outward to provide a circumferential recess 20 in whichan annular washer-like retainer 21, rigidly attached to the portion 19of the tubular member 15, registers so as to position the portion 19 ofthe tubular member in the nipple 12, as shown. In assembling the entirevalve unit, the flange 22 of the bottom 23 of the shell 10* may be ofsufiicient height to engage the lower edge of the retainer 21 or toblock the lower portion of the recess 20, as shown, to pre vent theretainer from leaving the recess.

Inoperation, the wick 16 within the member 14 tends to draw condensatethat may rise to its level, through the nipple and down into theradiator, as it will drip from the end 18 of the tube.

The wick shown in FIG. 2 is substantially of the same form and shape asthe member 14, but in this case the wick 16a per se has a wire 25extending substantially axially therethrough, whose front end 26 isdoubled back under and fixed to the retainer 21a.

In the modification shown in FIG. 3, the wick 16!) per se has ashortened partially tubular member or tip 27 similar to the front endportion of the wick member shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates how thewick 16 of FIG. 1 is secured in the portion 19 by turning in the upperedges 17a of the front end 17 to pinch the wick. The wick 16b of FIG. 3is retained in its tip 27 in the same manner.

It is to be noted that the wick 16b is shorter than the other wickmembers set forth and terminates in the passage 28 through the radiatorwall 13. This serves to illustrate the principle that water drawn alongthe wick from the shell 10 will pass off the rear end of the wick on tothe floor of this passage and thus fiow down into the radiator.

The principle of operation of all of the wicks illustrated and describedabove, is the same; that is, they will draw condensate out of the shelland pass it into the radiator, thu preventing clogging of the nipple andthus shutting 0E entry of steam into the shell 10.

The escape valve structure of the radiator valve is illusstrated inFIGS. 5 and 6, wherein the valve seat housing 29 is annular in form andis secured in and extends above the level of an axial opening 30 in theroof 31 of the shell 10. A valve seat 32 is formed between the reducedupper passage 33 of the housing 29 and the relatively enlarged lowerpassage 34. The valve stem 35 which extends upward, in the usual manner,from the unit 11 is adapted to register in the seat 32 to close thevalve.

In order to draw condensate away from the seat 32 upward through thepassage 33 and thence downward on the otuer surface of the housing 29, apreferably unitary wick structure 36 is provided. This unit is annularin form, including an inner annular wall 37, and outer annular wall 38,and an annular roof 39, thus forming an annular recess or enclosure inwhich the housing 29 registers. The inner wall has its lower edgesubstantially in the plane of the upper edge of the valve seat 32, andthe outer wall 38 extends downward toward the floor 31, eithersubstantially as shown in FIG. 5 or to a greater or smaller distance. Itis apparent that condensate accumulating at the valve seat around thelower end of the pas- 3 sage 33 will 'be drawn upward by the wick 36 andthen down to the floor 31.

The shell 10 has the usual cap 40 secured thereto concentrically aboutthe valve housing 29 to provide a compartment 41, the cap having one ormore holes or escap orifices 42 therein through which air may pass outof th shell.

Condensate which accumulates within the compartment 41 can evaporatethrough the holes 42. To prevent the forrration of a film of condensatein the holes 42, a cylindrical wick 43 is mounted against the inner wallof the cap 40, and preferably has sutficient height to extend to orabove the lower edges of the holes 42.

Secured against the lower or inner surface of the roof 31, is an annularwick 44 preferably having 21 depending flange 45, the axial opening 46of the wick being aligned with the passage 34. Thus the wick 44- drawscondensate away from the passage 34 and radially outward therefrom, topass down the inner wall of the shell 10.

It will be noted that in each of the arrangements previously described aportion of the wick is on contact with or extends beyond the edge of theorifice or passage which is to be drained of condensate. It is essentialthat the wick be so positioned in order to assure contact between thewick and any condensate which may enter or be formed in the orifice aswithout such contact the wick cannot function.

Wherever the term wick is used herein it is to be understood that theelement referred to serves the common purpose and function of wicks andthat it is constructed as wicks are generally constructed, i.e., of aplurality of relatievly loosely twisted, braided, knitted, felted orwoven fibers, or a substitute, to operate by capillary attraction toconvey liquid away from a source to a distance or place remote from thesource.

It is obvious from the present disclosure that a radiator valve unitwhich is attached, i.e., connected to a steam [t fices of the unit, isimmune to failure from clogging of the orifices by steam condensate.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to theconstructions shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such isnot to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, whichis best defined in the following claims.

In the case of any and all of the wicks discussed above, it is to beunderstood that wherever they are mounted against a surface or surfacesand it is desirable for practical reasons that they should remainpositioned against such surfaces, they may be secured to such surfacesby any desired means or in any manner. For example, the wicks may becemented to the surfaces, not shown.

I claim:

1. A radiator valve comprising a shell enclosing a compartmentcontaining a thermodynamic valve unit, a nipple for connecting theinterior of the shell to a radiator, an escape orifice through which airmay pass out of the shell, and a valve seat housing mounted in anopening in a Wall of said compartment, said housing having an axialpassage therethrough with a valve seat located therein, the combinationof said valve seat and said thermodynamic valve unit being adapted tocontrol the movement of air and steam through the valve, and wick meansfor drawing condensate out of and away from said passage.

2. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick meansbeing positioned in contact with a portion of the edge of an orifice ofsaid passage.

3. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick meansextending into an orifice of said passage.

4. A radiator valve according to claim 1, a portion of said wick meansbeing positioned anterior to and extending toward but not entering intoan orifice of said passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

